Monthly Archives: March 2010

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It’s a concept that Victor Rojas, the new TV play-by-play for the Angels and former MLB Network host, kept rolling around in his head while trying to watch and converse with people on his iPhone during the White Sox-Twins play-in game last October. He lost sleep over it.

Why can’t we filter out that string of conversation on Twitter to focus just on the game we’re watching?

The result: Yakcy, a beta site Rojas launched last week to give fans watching a particular event the ability to talk to others also watching without the background 140-word noise.

Check it out (linked here) and we’ll write more about it in the print edition, because that’s where all the teckies go for their state-of-the-art media news.

Never in all the work that the People for Ethical Treatment for Animals do did we ever assume there were people wearing beagle, poodle or cocker spanier as their choice of luxury coat.

Candace Parker apparently wants it to stay that way.

The Sparks star is the latest hoops celeb — Ron Artest, A’mare “Choose ink, not mink” Stoudamireand Dennis Rodman have done it in the past — to join the PETA revolution against animal cruelty. Particularly, against the wearing of fur.

But she’s doing it in a way that, to use, confuses the message.

“I feel very passionate about the fur campaign for PETA,” she says in the latest video clip on the organization’s website (above), as well as posing with her mutt for a campaign poster.

“I really feel like it’s very cruel what [fur businesses] do to animals. … I love my dog and couldn’t imagine anyone harming her. … Animals don’t have a voice, so people have to speak for them.”

Yes, there is testing done on animals that’s not cool. And mistreatment of animals, especially dogs, as we’ve learned from Michael Vick. More dogs, and cats, need adoption.

But to somehow tie dogs into fur trade … are we connecting the dots with a giant leap from Point A to Point Q?

Apparently not, PETA says.

Among the information they give on their site:

“Animals killed for their fur endure tremendous pain and suffering. Foxes, minks, and rabbits–and even dogs and cats–are bludgeoned, stomped, electrocuted, and often skinned alive. Undercover investigations reveal that animals struggle and scream in pain as workers rip the skin off their writhing bodies.”

If that’s the case and we don’t know about it, shame on us. If PETA is trying to stretch the boundaries to get their point across, show me a dog coat or a cat handbag that we shouldn’t be purchasing.

Otherwise, we’re on boad with Candy’s anti-fur project. And if it helps, she’s also offering up a contest to win an autographed ball — a ball, we suspect, that was made of leather? (contest linked here)

If the NHL playoffs started in a couple weeks as planned — not today or tomorrow or any other stupid scenario we like to throw out there — the Kings could be dancing with these Avs in the first round. They won’t be dancing with the Stars. Dallas is down there in “DNP — Coaches’ Confusion” category in the Western Conference (along with those Ducks). If the Kings and Avs really cared, they could also watch the season debut of the “Dancing With The Stars” co-called competition. Odds of Erin Andrews acing out Ocho Cinco in the finals … we don’t give a puck about it, really.

The Bruins’ victory Sunday in the first round over N.C. State puts them up against top-seeded Nebraska (31-1) in the Kansas City region. Yes, UCLA is still alive in the tournament. The girls. Take what you can get.

NBA: Clippers at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:

If the Knicks can top the Mavericks, as they did last week, ending the team’s 13-game win streak, then so can the Clips. OK, who are we kidding?

WEDNESDAY

NBA: Lakers at San Antonio, 6:30 p.m., Channel 9, ESPN:

The first of a five-game road trip over seven days starts for the Lakers in a place they’ve not had much fun. And if we’re playing “what if” again, these two could meet in the first round of the playoffs. Did you know someone was thoughtful enough to start a “Lakers-Spurs Rivalry” Wikipedia page (linked here). So this is what Bruce Bowen has been doing during his retirement.

NHL: Kings at Colorado, 6 p.m., FSW:

See: Kings-Avs, Monday. The reason they couldn’t play this one again at Staples Center: There’s something called “Calibash 2010″ taking place on this night. According to the promoters, it’s some kind of music thing that will feature “Alexis y Fido, Ivy Queen, Rakim y Ken Y, La Factoria, Arcangel, Tony Dize, Cosculluela, Angel y Kris, Zion y Lenox, De La Getto, Voltio, Makano … and more!” We can barely handle a George Lopez concert.

West top-seed Syracuse has 23- and 22-point wins going into the next round against a fifth-seeded Butler team that almost couldn’t get past 13-seed Murray State. This one’s in Salt Lake City (4:07 p.m. tipoff, with Gus Johnson and Len Elmore, followed by Kansas State-Xavier). Meanwhile, back in Syracuse’s own Carrier Dome, 11-seed Washington is left to uphold the Pac-10′s dignity against second-seeded West Virginia (4:27 p.m. tipoff, with Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas, followed by Kentucky-Cornell).

If there wasn’t a dang John Mayer concert at Staples Center tonight, this could have been the double-header options. You buying that? Move it all to Nokia next time. Or the ESPN Zone.

Golf: PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, first round, Golf Channel (round two also on Golf Channel, rounds three and four on Saturday and Sunday on Channel 4):

Orlando resident Tiger Woods supposedly considered playing in this event. Wrote Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi on Saturday: “As a fellow Orlandoan, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tiger Woods. Thanks,Tiger. For nothing. Once again, Tiger has treated the city where he lives just like one of his many alleged mistresses. Used us. Abused us. And then callously excused us. Tiger announced earlier this week he would make his much-ballyhooed return to golf not in Orlando at next weekend’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, but at the Masters two weeks later. Yet another example of how Tiger has viewed Orlando since he moved here in 1996. We are merely his tax shelter; not his hometown.” Chew on that for a while.

Having “UNI” at the top slot of the Midwest Region bracket simply reflects on the uniqueness of this annual scramble. A united Northern Iowa squad can’t possibly have gone this far in the so-called “Group of Death,” with Kansas and Georgetown already fallen off the radar. The Panthers face Michigan State in the Sweet 16 matchup (approx. 6:37 p.m. tipoff, with Vern Lundquist and Bill Raftery), with the winner most likely to meet second-seed Ohio State, which bucks up against Tennessee in St. Louis (4:04 p.m. tipoff). In the South Regional at Houston, 10th-seeded St. Mary’s continues to wave the West Coast Conference flag, taking on Baylor (4:27 p.m. tipoff, with Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg, followed by Duke-Purdue).

Soccer: Chivas USA vs. Colorado, Home Depot Center, 7:30 p.m.:

The opener to the Major League Soccer schedule, now that there’ll be no strike. Who’s ready for some kickball?

NBA: Lakers at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., Channel 9:

Among the NBA’s current scoring leaders, Kobe Bryant (27.7 points a game) has trailed Kevin Durant (29.7 ppg) through most of the season. In the Lakers’ last (and only other visit) to Thunder Mountain, Kobe had 31 and Durant had 28 (all in the first three quarters) during the Lakers’ three-point OT victory.
With the score tied 90-90 in regulation, Durant casted off a 3-pointer that missed instead of driving to the basket. “I thought he had a chance to attack (Andrew) Bynum,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “Kevin thought he could make that shot.” Everything was not OK in OKC. Live and learn. And shoot it again if you get the chance.

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